As a system for obtaining a still picture which has been subjected to print (i.e., printed) in recent years, a system of taking images of objects by using a camera device in which, eg. , photographic film of 35 mm is loaded to take the photographed film for photograph to a shop (store) to designate development and print to thereby obtain the developed negative film and photographs on which photographed objects are printed is popular.
However, in such system of obtaining still picture, when user takes a film which has been photographed to a shop (store), it is necessary to designate the number of prints. This was very troublesome. Moreover, in carrying out additional print of a desired photograph, user marks, with sign pen, etc., a negative film taken with him to designate a desired picture or pictures. However, there have frequently taken place the case where inconvenience such that additionally printed photograph is not in correspondence with the designated photograph by erroneous marking, etc. Further, in carrying out "color designation" to obtain a photograph in which, e.g., red is emphasized, etc., an approach is employed to designate a picture to designate the portion in which red is desired to be emphasized of the picture, thereby making it possible to obtain a photograph of desired hue (tint). However, since such color designation is subjective designation of user, inconveniences such that a completed photograph has not desired hue (tint) took place.
Further, since the developing unit for developing film and the print unit for carrying out print from the developed film are very expensive, these units are not ordinarily installed within a shop (store) to which user takes a photographed film, but are installed at a processing laboratory for specially carrying out development, etc. For this reason, when the shop side receives already photographed film from user, they (the shop side) send (deliver) the already photographed film to the processing laboratory along with request of user such as the number of prints and or color designation, etc. as described above. The processing laboratory develops the photographed film received from the shop side to form negative film, and to form photographs corresponding to the user's request on the basis of this negative film to send them back to the shop side. Thus, user receives the negative film and photographs from the shop side. Accordingly, in the case of conventionally obtaining still picture, the film etc. is alternated between user, shop and processing laboratory. As a result, it has taken place inconvenience in which means (route) of acquisition is complicated and the request cannot be also precisely transmitted.
On the other hand, in the Official Patent Publication of No. 501932/1993 (International Laid Open No. WO92/05504), "Image data base having low resolution index image data" is disclosed. In accordance with this image data base, picture data is recorded onto a digital data recording medium onto which it can be written once to carry out print on the basis of the picture data recorded on the optical disc to thereby obtain still picture.
However, in this image data base, an optical disc on which data can be recorded only once (so called write once disc) is used as a recording medium, and it is thus impossible to rewrite data which has been once recorded on the disc. For this reason, the system using such image data base was a system only having a function to record picture data onto the optical disc at the shop side, and to reproduce that picture data at the user side. Accordingly, also in this system, it is necessary to orally carry out, in prints, request of user such as the number of prints or color designation, etc. A new system which replaces the system of obtaining still picture conventionally proposed has not been provided.
In view of such actual circumstances, this invention has been made, and its object is to provide a picture control apparatus, a recording medium, a picture control system and a picture control method which realize a new still picture control system which replaces the conventional system of obtaining still picture.